Stopper with air intake

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a stopper intended to be mounted on a container, of the bottle type, containing a liquid, a base provided with means for mounting on the container, a mouthpiece intended to be positioned in the user&#39;s mouth to remove the liquid from the container, an air inlet allowing air into the container in response to the removal of the liquid, said mouthpiece comprising at least one duct communicating with the internal volume of the container and ending toward the outside in the form of an outlet orifice, wherein the air inlet comprises at least one fluid passage one of the ends of which opens to the outside and the other end of which opens near the outlet orifice which, with this other end, are intended to be introduced into the user&#39;s mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of containerstoppers, more especially stoppers intended to be mounted on the necksof bottles.

[0002] Such stoppers generally comprise a mouthpiece intended for theremoval of the liquid contained in the bottle. It is then desirable toprovide an air inlet allowing the generation of a stream of air enteringthe internal volume of the bottle in response to the removal of theliquid, for example sucked out by the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] There is thus known a stopper intended to be mounted on acontainer, of the bottle type, containing a liquid, said stoppercomprising a base provided with means for mounting on the container, amouthpiece intended to be positioned in the user's mouth to remove theliquid from the container, an air inlet allowing air into the containerin response to the removal of the liquid, said mouthpiece comprising atleast one duct communicating with the internal volume of the containerand ending toward the outside in the form of an outlet orifice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The object of the present invention is to produce a stopper forcontainers of the bottle type, incorporating an air inlet, which isparticularly simple to manufacture.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to produce a stopperallowing the liquid contained in the container on which said stopper ismounted to be removed efficiently.

[0006] The objects assigned to the present invention are achieved usinga stopper in which the air inlet comprises at least one fluid passageone of the ends of which opens to the outside and the other end of whichopens near the outlet orifice which, with this other end, are intendedto be introduced into the user's mouth.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece comprises atleast two ducts.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece comprisesducts of approximately semicircular cross section spaced apart by a slotforming the air passage, said slot extending from the base up to thelevel of the outlet orifices.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece comprises aduct provided with an outlet orifice, with a cylindrical collar,concentric and connected to the duct by bridges of material, thusdelimiting an annular space, which extends from the outlet orifice withone of its ends as far as a peripheral slot defined between the base andsaid collar, said peripheral slot allowing the annular space tocommunicate with the outside.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, the stopper comprises aretractable cap attached to the mouthpiece and allowing the outletorifice to be sealed off.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the stopper according tothe invention is mounted on a bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] other features and advantages will also become apparent fromreading the detailed description given hereinafter, with reference tothe illustrative

by way of examples, in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of astopper according to the invention.

[0014]FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of the stopper of FIG. 1,mounted on a bottle.

[0015]FIG. 3 is another exemplary embodiment of the stopper according tothe invention

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016]FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a stopper according to theinvention. The stopper comprises a base 1, for example cylindrical,intended for example to be mounted by screw-fastening or by any otherremovable or nonremovable mounting means on the neck of a container 6 asshown partially in FIG. 2.

[0017] The stopper according to the invention also comprises amouthpiece 2 intended to be positioned in the mouth of the user whowishes to ingest beverages contained in the container 6.

[0018] The mouthpiece 2 comprises, according to one exemplaryembodiment, at least two ducts 3 communicating with the internal volumeof the container 6.

[0019] The mouthpiece 2 consists, for example, of two ducts 3communicating with the internal volume of the container 6, and arrangedside by side. The two ducts are also separated or spaced apart by a slot5, extending from the base 1 up to the other end of the mouthpiece 2,where there is an outlet orifice 4 for each duct 3. The slot 5 in thisscenario is closed at its other end by the base 1.

[0020] The means of mounting the base 1 on the neck of a bottle consist,for example, of an internal screw thread la, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0021] Thus, when the user wishes to ingest the beverage contained inthe container 6, the mouthpiece 2 is partially introduced into the mouthof said user. The slot 5 extends over at least the entire length of themouthpiece 2. The sizing of this mouthpiece is such that the end of theslot 5 located near the base 1 opens to the outside, rather than intothe mouth of said user. The slot 5 therefore forms a fluid passagebetween the outside and the interior volume of the container 6, via theuser's mouth.

[0022] Such a design is particularly advantageous and, contrary to allexpectation, causes no dribbling or accidental emptying of the liquidfrom the mouth of said user.

[0023] The ducts 3 each have a semicircular shape in cross section.Other shapes may of course be envisioned without departing from thescope of the present invention, according to another exemplaryembodiment. it is thus conceivable to produce three, four or more ducts3, of identical or different shapes, arranged side by side.

[0024] In the exemplary embodiment of the stopper according to theinvention in FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 2 has just one duct 3 and thereforeone outlet orifice 4 located at its end distal from the base 1. Thecylindrical duct 3 in surrounded by a peripheral collar, concentric withsaid duct 3, and separated from the latter by bridges of material 8.

[0025] Annular spaces 9 stretching from the outlet orifice 4 toward aperipheral slot located near the base 1 are thus obtained between thecollar 7 and the duct 3. The annular spaces 9 thus form fluid passagesallowing external air to enter via the periphial slot 10 and reach theinternal volume of the container 6, passing respectively through atleast one annular space 9, the user's mouth, and the duct 3, in theopposite direction to the direction in which the removed liquid travels.The collar 7 depicted in FIG. 2 has been partially cut away, for thepurpose of clarity.

[0026] The present invention finds an application especially in thefield of bottles of the cyclist's or sportsman's bottle type.

[0027] One appreciable advantage of the stopper according to theinvention lies in its relatively simple and inexpensive manufacture.Indeed such a stopper can be obtained in a single molding orinjection-molding operation.

1. A stopper intended to be mounted on a container, of the bottle type,containing a liquid, a base provided with means for mounting on thecontainer, a mouthpiece intended to be positioned in the user's mouth toremove the liquid from the container, an air inlet allowing air into thecontainer in response to the removal of the liquid, said mouthpiececomprising at least one duct communicating with the internal volume ofthe container and ending toward the outside in the form of an outletorifice, wherein the air inlet comprises at least one air passage one ofthe ends of which opens to the outside and the other end of which opensnear the outlet orifice which, with this other end, are intended to beintroduced into the user's mouth.
 2. The stopper as claimed in claim 1and which comprises at least two ducts.
 3. The stopper as claimed inclaim 1 or 2, wherein the mouthpiece comprises ducts of approximatelysemicircular cross section spaced apart by a slot forming the airpassage, said slot extending from the base up to the level of the outletorifices.
 4. The stopper as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mouthpiececomprises a duct provided with an outlet orifice, with a cylindricalcollar, concentric and connected to the duct by bridges of material,thus delimiting an annular space, which extends from the outlet orificewith one of its ends as far as a peripheral slot defined between thebase and said collar, said peripheral slot allowing the annular space tocommunicate with the outside.
 5. The stopper as claimed in any one ofclaims 1 to 4, and which comprises a retractable cap attached to themouthpiece and allowing the outlet orifice to be sealed off.
 6. A bottlecomprising a stopper as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.